{"id":680,"date":"2013-11-07T00:03:40","date_gmt":"2013-11-07T05:03:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cindiferrini.com\/?p=680"},"modified":"2013-11-07T00:03:40","modified_gmt":"2013-11-07T05:03:40","slug":"special-needs-now-what","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cindiferrini.com\/index.php\/2013\/11\/07\/special-needs-now-what\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Needs \u2013\u201cNow, What?\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Previously Posted\/Newly Updated for THIS our NEW website\/blog<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">READING TIME @ 3.5 Minutes<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Your child has \u201cspecial needs\u201d. You never thought it could happen to you, you never wanted it, you never asked for it\u2026but you suspected it and now it\u2019s confirmed. <em><b>Now, what<\/b><\/em>? Someone you love survived an accident, but they\u2019ll never walk again. Those things happen to others, but now it\u2019s happened to someone you know and love. You would never wish this upon anyone \u2013 but it happened. <em><b>Now, what<\/b><\/em>? You feel like you\u2019ve been punched in the stomach \u2013 unable to catch your breath. You can\u2019t think, you can\u2019t talk about it, and if you\u2019re one who prays \u2013 you might not even be able to pray.<\/p>\n<p>You know life will never be the same \u2013 and it won\u2019t. It will take a while (and it\u2019s different for each person), but when the shock of this new reality sinks in, you\u2019ll realize there are many with whom you can now relate. In the United States (according to the Disability Information and statistics via <em>Joni and Friends)<\/em>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>54M\u00a0people (20.6%) are living with some sort of disability<\/li>\n<li>\u00a026M\u00a0have some level of severe disability<\/li>\n<li>\u00a09M people are disabled to the point of needing personal assistance for everyday activities &#8211;\u00a01.6M use wheelchairs<\/li>\n<li>\u00a04.8M\u00a0canes, 1.8M ,walkers,<\/li>\n<li>\u00a04.2M use hearing aides<\/li>\n<li>1.7M use back braces.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Of those with disabilities:\u00a06.1% are under 18,\u00a0 6.9% between 18-24, 14.1% between 25-54,\u00a0 28.4% between 55-65,\u00a0 38% over 65,\u00a0\u00a0 56% over 85.<\/p>\n<p>With such statistics, we must recognize that what we thought would never happen to us or to someone in our life, probably will. Whether it\u2019s ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), mental retardation, Alzheimer\u2019s, autism, Down syndrome, spinal cord or brain injury, Muscular Dystrophy, sensory integration, spina-bifida, or some other special need, it is likely that someone you know, or you, will be affected. <em><b>Now, what<\/b><\/em>? Like anything else in life, the \u201c<em><b>now what\u201d<\/b><\/em> is easy to hear; harder to apply.<\/p>\n<p><em><b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">If The Special Needs Situation Involves Someone Else<\/span><\/b><\/em><b><i><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Look around \u2013 become aware of those around you and their needs<\/li>\n<li>Learn to show compassion to others \u2013 you will grow as you become aware.<\/li>\n<li>Offer help when you\u2019re able \u2013 you will learn as you serve.<\/li>\n<li>Read about the disabilities of those people in your life who have the challenge of a special need.<\/li>\n<li>Read like you would if it were <em>your <\/em>disability \u2013 they will be blessed and impressed that you cared.<\/li>\n<li>Ask questions and send kind notes of encouragement to them. They are seldom asked about their situation and rarely get encouragement outside their families.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">If<i> <\/i><em>The Special Needs Situation Involves Yourself or Your Loved One<\/em><\/span><\/b><em><\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Take time to evaluate the diagnosis, your feelings, your loved ones feelings, and discuss it. Don\u2019t run and hide, even though you might want to.<\/li>\n<li>Ask questions.<\/li>\n<li>Get answers.<\/li>\n<li>Talk to doctors, therapists, social workers, agencies, others in your situation, etc.<\/li>\n<li>Find sources of resourceful help. It takes time.<\/li>\n<li>Share with others as you are able. Share what you are comfortable with.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Realize you will probably follow the Elizabeth Kubler-Ross stages of grief:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Denial \u2013 \u201cThis isn\u2019t happening to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Anger \u2013 \u201cWhy is this happening to me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bargaining \u2013 \u201cI promise I\u2019ll be a better person if ______.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Depression \u2013 \u201cI don\u2019t care anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Acceptance \u2013 \u201cI\u2019m ready for whatever comes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Both places are basic starting points. The journey takes perseverance, stamina, energy, endurance\u2026.and time. Are you willing to ask yourself the question: \u201c<em><b>Now what<\/b><\/em>\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Previously Posted\/Newly Updated for THIS our NEW website\/blog READING TIME @ 3.5 Minutes Your child has \u201cspecial needs\u201d. You never thought it could happen to you, you never wanted it, you never asked for it\u2026but you suspected it and now it\u2019s confirmed. Now, what? Someone you love survived an accident, but they\u2019ll never walk again. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[119,120],"class_list":["post-680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-special","tag-special-needs-stats","tag-stages-of-grief"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindiferrini.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindiferrini.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindiferrini.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindiferrini.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindiferrini.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cindiferrini.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/680\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindiferrini.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindiferrini.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindiferrini.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}